1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for obtaining an aqueous butterscotch flavored composition, and foods such as low calorie syrups containing the flavored composition.
2. The Prior Art
Consumers are becoming more calorie conscious. Yet, they do not wish to forego their favorite desserts and syrup toppings. Instead, they demand foods of lower calorie content that still retain the flavor and feel of the more weighty traditional high caloric foods. These needs have been recognized by the food industry. In particular, with regard to the present invention, there has been sought a low calorie syrup having the taste of caramel butterscotch found in full calorie syrups.
Buttery and butter related flavors, such as butterscotch, have traditionally been provided to full calorie syrups by incorporation of actual butter or derivatives within the syrup composition. In low calorie syrups, with their high water content, there unfortunately arises problems when butter products are sought to be formulated therein. Though butter products are substantially insoluble in all syrups, only when blended in low calorie syrups does unacceptable cloudiness arise. Consumers desire their syrups to be clear.
Phase stability problems have been noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,205 when small amounts of butter were incorporated into a reduced calorie syrup. The patent overcomes the instability problem by formulating the product with a thickener mixture of alginate and clarified xanthan gum. A disadvantage of this approach is the inflexibility of the formulation with regard to thickener and does not solve the adverse cloudy appearance. Combinations of alginate and clarified xanthan gum will provide one type of mouthfeel to the exclusion of different, perhaps more preferable, mouthfeel imparted by other thickener systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,532 has reported the preparation of an aqueous cooked buttery flavored composition and its use in low calorie syrup. Acceptable phase stability was achieved therewith. The method involved heating an admixture of an aqueous solution of sugar and butter in a ratio of 50:1 to 1:10, respectively, at a temperature of about 150.degree. F. to 250.degree. F. for about 0.5 to 5 hours. An oil in sugar water emulsion resulted. Upon separation of the fatty phase, an aqueous phase was recovered having a buttery flavor.
A problem was subsequently noted with the aqueous buttery flavored composition produced in the aforementioned process. Although the composition itself had a buttery flavor, once incorporated into a low calorie syrup the resultant formulation had only a minor taste impact. Moreover, consumer taste testing panels have indicated that it is a caramel butterscotch, not a buttery flavor, that consumers expect in a table syrup.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a caramel butterscotch flavored composition.
A further object of this invention is to provide a caramel butterscotch flavored composition that has taste impact even when diluted in a low calorie syrup.
A further object of this invention is to provide a reduced calorie syrup having a caramel butterscotch taste.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a caramel butterscotch flavored composition which, upon incorporation into a low calorie syrup, will have acceptable phase stability and organoleptic properties.
A final object of this invention is to provide a caramel butterscotch flavored reduced calorie syrup of good clarity and capable of being formulated with various alternative thickeners.